Queen Elizabeth extols goodwill and respect in Christmas message

LONDON -- Britain's Queen Elizabeth will say in her Christmas message that the festival's message of peace and goodwill needs to be heeded as much as ever, and people should respect each other even when they harbor the most deeply held differences.

According to excerpts released by Buckingham Palace on Monday, the 92-year-old monarch will also speak of family and friendship following a year in which her grandson Prince Harry married US-born actress Meghan Markle.

Throughout her record 66 years on the throne, the queen has avoided commenting in public on contentious international affairs or party political issues, and the excerpts make no mention of the visit in July by US President Donald Trump or the turmoil over Britain's departure from the European Union.

But speaking about the birth of Jesus, she will say: "I believe his message of peace on earth and goodwill to all is never out of date. It can be heeded by everyone; it's needed as much as ever."

"Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good step towards greater understanding."

Before leaving Britain for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump breached British royal protocol by publicly disclosing the details of a conversation he had with the queen about the complexities of Brexit, an issue that has divided the nation.

Trump's trip to Britain was marked by public protests and downgraded from a full state visit that Prime Minister Theresa May had originally proposed.

However, he took tea with the queen at Windsor Castle. Trump later described the monarch, who has met 12 US presidents, as an "incredible woman" who was both "sharp" and "beautiful."

She has shown little sign of slowing down in the last year, during which Harry and Meghan's wedding marked another royal step towards modernity, with a ceremony that blended ancient English ritual with African American culture.

"Through the many changes I have seen over the years, faith, family and friendship have been not only a constant for me but a source of personal comfort and reassurance," she will say.

Another grandchild, Princess Eugenie, also married this year and the queen's sixth and seventh great grandchildren were born, while she made her debut appearance on the front row of a fashion show.

She also led British and Commonwealth tributes to the soldiers of World War 1 on the centenary of the signing of the Armistice that ended it in 1918.

The queen wore a cocktail dress in ivory silk with pastel blue, white and gold lame overlay designed by Angela Kelly for the broadcast, which was recorded in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.

She is spending Christmas as usual at her Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where she will be joined by other members of the Royal family.

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Meghan Markle picks sleek dress by Givenchy designer for wedding

WINDSOR, England - American actress Meghan Markle picked a sleek sculpted dress by Givenchy creative head Clare Waight Keller for her wedding to Prince Harry on Saturday, worn with a five-meter long veil and a diamond tiara lent by Queen Elizabeth.

The long-sleeved dress with a boat neck had been eagerly anticipated by royal fans around the world, with speculation over which designer would be chosen.

Waight Keller, previously at Pringle of Scotland and Chloe, became the first female artistic director at famed French brand Givenchy last year.

The 47-year-old met Meghan earlier this year and the two worked together on the design, which "epitomizes a timeless minimal elegance", Kensington Palace said.

"The focus of the dress is the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasizes the slender sculpted waist," the palace said in a statement.

"The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity."

Meghan's long veil, made of silk tulle, was decorated with hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza, the palace said, and paid tribute to the 53 countries of the Commonwealth.

"Ms. Waight Keller designed a veil representing the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one spectacular floral composition," the palace said.

Prince Harry last month was appointed a Commonwealth youth ambassador.

Queen Elizabeth lent the 36-year-old bride Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara for the occasion. Made in 1932 for Queen Mary, the sparkling diamond and platinum bandeau boasts a center brooch dating from 1893.

Meghan also wore Cartier earrings as well as a bracelet and silk duchess satin shoes, the palace said.

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Markle's father says heart procedure puts him out of British royal wedding

He was due to walk his daughter down the aisle
Has had heart problems
"Deeply personal moment for Ms Markle" -Palace 

LONDON - The father of American actress Meghan Markle said on Tuesday he could not attend his daughter's wedding to Britain's Prince Harry on Saturday because he needed a heart procedure.

Thomas Markle, who lives in Mexico, was quoted as telling Los Angeles-based celebrity website TMZ.com that he was scheduled to undergo a heart repair and blockage clearance procedure early on Wednesday morning.

Markle, 73, was due to walk his daughter down the aisle in front of 600 guests including all the senior British royals and a smattering of celebrities. Markle threw the wedding plans into confusion earlier this week when he said he would not attend the May 19 nuptials because he did not want to embarrass his daughter or the royal family after reports he had staged pictures with a paparazzi photographer for a fee. He also said he had been hospitalized after suffering a heart attack a week ago.

Harry, 33, Queen Elizabeth's grandson and the sixth-in-line to the British throne, and Markle, 36, will marry on Saturday at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

On Tuesday, Markle told TMZ that he hated "the idea of missing one of the greatest moments in history and walking my daughter down the aisle."

But he later said doctors had scheduled surgery on Wednesday morning. "They (doctors) will go in and clear blockage, repair damage and put a stent where it is needed," Markle told the website.

Kensington Palace, Harry's office, could not immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.

But in a statement issued on Monday it said called Thomas Markle's comments "a deeply personal moment for Ms Markle."

"She and Prince Harry ask again for understanding and respect to be extended to Mr Markle in this difficult situation," Kensington Palace said.

The bride-to-be's parents are divorced and while Harry has been pictured with her mother Doria Ragland, 61, there had been speculation about how Thomas Markle, a former lighting director for TV soaps and sitcoms, would feature.

However, Harry's communications secretary told reporters last week he would have an important role and would give away his daughter on the couple's big day. He had also been expected to meet the queen, her husband and the other senior members of the Windsor family this week.

Thousands of journalists from across the world are descending on the genteel town of Windsor for the wedding, and Thomas Markle told TMZ earlier this week that the media attention had taken its toll. He said he had been offered up to $100,000 for interviews and been ambushed by paparazzi whose snaps had shown him buying beer and looking dishevelled.

TMZ said he had agreed to the staged pictures, which showed him looking at images of the couple on a computer and being sized up for a suit, because he hoped they would improve his image.

Prince Harry and his elder brother Prince William have both made clear in the past their dislike of the press, fuelled by the death of their mother Princess Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997 as her limousine sped away from chasing paparazzi.

Kensington Palace has limited press access to the ceremony itself and strictly controlled the release of details about the wedding to the media.

If her father does not come, British newspapers suggested that Markle's mother, with whom she is spending the night before the ceremony at a nearby luxury hotel, would walk her daughter down the aisle. 

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Royals William and Kate release new photos of baby Charlotte

Kensington Palace has just released new photos of Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Britian's Prince William and his wife Kate.

Here's a new photo of 6-month-old Princess Charlotte, taken by her mother, The Duchess of Cambridge, in early Nov. pic.twitter.com/sgfYOj6fAQ

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 29, 2015

This photo of Princess Charlotte was also taken by The Duchess of Cambridge at home in Norfolk earlier this month. pic.twitter.com/YHeJ5ItPmi

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 29, 2015

The two pictures were taken earlier in November by mom -- Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge -- and they come six months after the princess' much-anticipated birth in May.

Charlotte is fourth in line to the throne but for fans of the British Royals, the little princess is Number 1.

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LOOK: Kiss from big brother in pics of Britain's royal baby

LONDON, United Kingdom - The first photos of Britain's Princess Charlotte together with Prince George, who is pictured giving his baby sister a kiss, were released by Kensington Palace on Saturday.

The four photographs, taken by their mother Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, show 21-month-old George sitting on a sofa holding Charlotte.

The portraits were taken when Charlotte, born on May 2, was around two weeks old.

They were taken at Anmer Hall, Prince William and his wife Kate's country mansion on his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's private Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

Propped up by two white cushions, Charlotte appears to be wearing a white romper suit with a matching jumper.

Her brother is dressed in a white shirt with blue piping detail around the collar, cuffs and front, and matching blue socks and shorts.

One picture shows George planting a kiss on his sister's forehead, another shows him tenderly looking down at her, a third shows him looking up and a fourth shows him smiling.

"Prince George and Princess Charlotte together at home #WelcomeToTheFamily," Kensington Palace, William and Kate's official residence in London, said as they released the image on social media.

"We're delighted to share the first photo of Prince George with his little sister Princess Charlotte.

"The photo of Prince George and Princess Charlotte was taken by The Duchess of Cambridge in mid-May."

Pictures of George have been rare. Only a handful of sets have been released, while he has rarely been seen in public.

The first pictures released of George at home after his birth were taken by Kate's father Michael Middleton.

George, who is directly in line to inherit the throne after his grandfather Prince Charles and then William, was last seen when his father took him to hospital to see his newborn sister.

Earlier, Kensington Palace released pictures of the multitudes of gifts, cards and toys the family received after Charlotte's birth, sent from all around the world.

They showed bundles of mail stacked up on filing cabinets, knitted dolls, slippers and bonnets and hand-written cards from schoolchildren.

"Thank you to everyone who took the time to make handmade gifts," the palace said.

It was announced Friday that Charlotte will be christened on July 5 at St. Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, where William's late mother Diana was baptized.

Charlotte will be christened as a member of the Church of England by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the Anglican Church.

William and Kate have been staying at Anmer Hall in Sandringham since Charlotte's birth at St Mary's Hospital in London.

In tribute to his grandmother and mother, William and Kate gave Charlotte the middle names Elizabeth and Diana.

The princess is fourth in line to the throne after her brother Prince George, who was born on July 22, 2013. He was baptized at St James's Palace in London.

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Name of new British princess is...

LONDON - Britain's new princess has been named as Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, Kensington Palace said on its Twitter account on Monday.

The daughter of Prince William and his wife Kate will be known as Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, the palace said.

(Writing by Robin Pomeroy)

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Prince William's wife Kate in labour

LONDON, United Kingdom – Prince William's wife Kate was admitted to hospital on Saturday in the early stages of labour with the couple's eagerly-awaited second child, Kensington Palace said.

"The Duchess of Cambridge was admitted at 6.00 hours to St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London and is in the early stages of labour," the palace press office said in a statement.

"The Duchess travelled by car from Kensington Palace to the Lindo Wing at St Mary’s Hospital with The Duke of Cambridge," it said.

This will be the couple's second child after Prince George, born in 2013.

He or she will be the fourth in line to the throne after Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son Prince Charles, his eldest son William, and George, the new arrival's big brother.

William was expected to stay by his wife's side throughout the labour, as he did at George's birth in July 2013.

Queen Elizabeth, senior royals and Kate's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton, will be the first to be informed of the news.

It will then be announced both on the official Kensington Palace Twitter account and in the traditional way -- with a royal bulletin displayed on an ornate easel in Buckingham Palace's forecourt.

Guy Thorpe-Beeston, surgeon-gynaecologist to the royal household and a specialist in high-risk pregnancies, is leading the delivery team.

The world's press quickly gathered outside St Mary's in anticipation of the birth.

William's office announced on April 21 that he had gone on leave from his job as an air ambulance pilot after completing his training ahead of the birth.

A spokesman for Kensington Palace, William's official residence, said he would not return to work until June 1.

- Gun salutes in celebration -

He and Kate are planning to spend the first few days after the birth at Kensington Palace, their London residence.

They will then travel to Anmer Hall, a country mansion on Queen Elizabeth's privately-owned Sandringham estate in Norfolk, eastern England, where they have set up home.

Cannons will be fired across London to celebrate the birth -- 62 shots from the Tower of London and 41 from Green Park -- and the British flag will be flown from government buildings.

The baby's name may not be revealed for several days -- William's name was not announced for a week, while the world had to wait one month after his father Charles was born.

George was named two days after his birth.

The baby will be known as His/Her Royal Highness Prince/Princess (name) of Cambridge.

The baby will be christened as a member of the Church of England, wearing a replica of the intricate lace and satin gown made for queen Victoria's eldest daughter in 1841.

Experts say the royal birth could inject tens of millions of pounds (euros, dollars) into the British economy, with a baby princess particularly lucrative because she could become a fashion trendsetter.

George's birth gave Britain a £390 million (544 million euros, $592 million) boost and the new baby is expected to generate approximately £300 million, according to figures from the London School of Marketing.

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Toddler Prince George prepares to share the spotlight

LONDON, United Kingdom - After 21 blissful months of one-on-one care, world media attention and carefree splashing in the Buckingham Palace pool, Prince George is facing a spot of upheaval in his gilded life -- a sibling.

Later this month, the royal toddler's mother Kate is expected to give birth to a little brother or sister who will be fourth in line to the throne.

In his latest official photos, the son of Prince William and his wife Kate appears confident and curious -- a blond tot with an impish smile.

Shielded from the cameras, the prince's rare public appearances are exhaustively reported in British media and "Gorgeous George" is a social media star.

The little boy who has helped sustain the image of a British royal family once battered by scandal has been seen at public events just three times.

The first was in July 23, 2013 when he was shown to the world wrapped in a white blanket in the arms of his radiant parents -- aged just 27 hours.

"He's got a good pair of lungs on him," the young father told a crowd of some 200 journalists outside the same private maternity ward in London where Kate plans to give birth later this month.

George's second public engagement came three months later at his Christening, followed by a family tour of Australia and New Zealand in April 2014 where the chubby-cheeked royal stole the show.

In New Zealand, he was seen playing with other babies in the residence of his great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's governor-general.

On a visit to a Sydney zoo, he showed particular interest in a bilby -- an endangered animal.

Presents for George

Besides these appearances, the royals have occasionally released official photographs of the baby prince born third in line to the throne.

George has been seen in the garden at Kate's parents' home after the birth; sat with the family in a Kensington Palace window ahead of his first overseas tour; playing with butterflies at the Natural History Museum to mark his first birthday; and sitting on the Kensington Palace steps for Christmas 2014.

Conscious of the role that he will have to play one day, William and Kate have said they want the prince to have as normal a childhood as possible.

George's first birthday was celebrated far from the cameras with a cake baked by his mother.

The family have a Spanish nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, and a dog, Lupo, a black cocker spaniel.

But any similarities with other children end there.

The family divide their time between a lavishly refurbished apartment in London's Kensington Palace and Anmer Hall, a 10-bedroom country home on the queen's Sandringham estate in eastern England.

They holiday on the private Caribbean island of Mustique.

On his first birthday, George received 700 gifts from around the world including 219 games and toys.

The royal couple are keen to avoid any sibling rivalry once George has to share the spotlight.

Royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in the magazine Vanity Fair that Kate was "making the most of her final weeks with George as an only child".

"Apparently William and Kate have been stocking up on presents for Prince George to make sure he doesn't feel left out when his little brother or sister makes his or her grand entrance," she said.

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LOOK: Britain's Prince George in new Christmas photos

LONDON, United Kingdom - Three Christmas photos of a rosy-cheeked Prince George were released by Britain's royal family Saturday, offering a festive glimpse of the future king.

The pictures show 17-month-old George in a courtyard at Kensington Palace, where his parents, Prince William and Kate, have a London apartment.

George is wearing a jumper depicting the soldiers who guard his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, at Buckingham Palace, complete with red tunics and bearskin hats.

The royal couple guard their child's privacy closely and have requested that the press let him grow up without intrusion.

While George is often photographed during official engagements, royal lawyers sent a legal warning in October to a photographer who was reportedly trying to take pictures of him with his nanny in a London park.

George is due to be joined by a brother or sister in 2015 as Kate is pregnant with the couple's second child and expected to give birth in April.

She has been suffering from the same acute morning sickness she had while pregnant with George.

However, she did accompany Prince William on a whirlwind trip to New York this week, where the couple visited the 9/11 memorial and met music stars Beyonce and Jay-Z.

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Britain's William and Kate leave hospital with baby

LONDON - Prince William and his wife Kate left hospital on Tuesday and gave the world its first glimpse of their baby boy, who becomes third in line to the British throne.

After posing for pictures for the world's media, the couple said they were still working on a name for their son and were feeling "very emotional".

Kate, wearing a blue polka-dot dress, smiled and waved at the cheering crowds as she held her baby, who was wrapped in a white blanket.

Kate was holding the boy first before passing him to her husband.

"He's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure," William told the press, while Kate said the couple was "very emotional" after welcoming their first child, a new third in line to the British throne.

Prince William and his wife Kate were set to leave hospital with their newborn son on Tuesday evening and return home to Kensington Palace, the palace confirmed in a statement.

"Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge will be discharged this evening from St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington," the palace had said.

"The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their son will travel home to Kensington Palace."

The statement added that William and Kate wanted to "reiterate their thanks to the hospital for the care and treatment they have all received".

Their unnamed baby son, the new third in line to the British throne, was born at the central London hospital at 4:24 pm (1524 GMT) on Monday weighing a healthy 8 lbs 6 oz (3.8 kilos).

The statement from the palace came shortly after William's father Prince Charles visited his new grandson, telling the press as he left: "You'll see in a minute."

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